WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/780 
7 December 2009 
 (09-6281) 
General Council 
17-18 December 2009 Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
 
CANADIAN TARIFF TREATMENT FOR COMMONWEALTH 
CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES 
 
2009 Report of the Government of Canada on the  
Trade-Related Provisions of CARIBCAN  
 
  The following communication, dated 27 November 2009, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Canada. 
_______________ 
 
Introduction 
 
 CARIBCAN is an economic and trade development assistance program for the 
Commonwealth Caribbean countries and territories esta blished as a result of a commitment by Canada 
at the Commonwealth Heads of Governme nt meeting in Nassau in October 1985. 
 
 The objectives of CARIBCAN are to enhance Commonwealth Caribbean trade and export 
earnings, improve the trade and economic development prospects of the region, promote new 
investment opportunities, and encourage enhanced economic integration and co-operation.  The main 
feature of CARIBCAN is the unilateral extension by  Canada, beginning on 15 June 1986, of duty-free 
access to the Canadian market for most comm odities originating in Commonwealth Caribbean 
countries.   On 28 November 1986, a decision by the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) waived un til 15 June 1998, the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article 1 of the 
General Agreement, "only to the extent necessary to permit the Government of Canada to provide 
duty-free treatment to eligible imports of Comm onwealth Caribbean countries benefiting from the 
provisions of CARIBCAN, without being required to extend the same duty- free treatment to like 
products of any other contracting party." (L/ 6102).  On 15 December 2006 the WTO extended the 
CARIBCAN waiver until 31 December 2011 (WT/L/ 677).  The conditions associated with the 
CARIBCAN waiver remain unchanged. 
 
 This report is being made in accordance with paragraph 3 of the WTO waiver of 
15 December 2006 and Article IX of the WTO Agreement. 
 
Country Coverage 
 
 The Customs Tariff  lists 18 countries or dependent territori es which are eligible to receive the 
duty-free benefits accorded under CARIBCAN:  Anguilla, Antigua-Barbuda,  Bahamas, Barbados, 
Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, 
Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 
Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.   No additions or deletions from this list have 
occurred since CARIBCAN was enacted on 15 June 1986. WT/L/780 
Page 2  
 
  Product Coverage  
 
 There have been no amendments to CARIBCAN product coverage since the changes made in 
February 1998.   
 Today, product exclusions from the duty-free provisions of CARIBCAN are:  
  - Goods of HS Chapters 50 to 65 inclusive;  - Goods covered by tariff items with “over access commitment” rates of duty 
established in the “tariffication” process . 
 
Rules of Origin  
 
 The rules of origin for the purposes of the Commonwealth Caribbean Countries Tariff 
(CCCT) treatment are set out in regulations  enacted pursuant to Section 24 of the Customs Tariff . 
 
 To qualify for the duty-free treatment accorded  to Commonwealth Caribbean countries, at 
least sixty per cent of the ex-factory price of th e goods as packed for shipment to Canada must 
originate in one or more beneficiary countries or Canada.  The 60 per cent qualifying content may be cumulated from various CARIBCAN beneficiary countri es or Canada.  The goods must be finished in 
the beneficiary country in the form in which they ar e imported into Canada.  Pursuant to the Proof of 
Origin Regulations, either a duly completed Certific ate of Origin, Form A, or a written statement of 
origin signed by the exporter, must be presented to Customs at the time of release, accounting or 
refund.  
Trade under CARIBCAN  
 
 Canada-CARIBCAN trade statistics are annexed in a series of tabl es to this report and include 
2008 trade data.  In general, these trade statistics indicate that:   - In 2008, 97 per cent of total Cana dian imports from CARIBCAN beneficiaries 
entered Canada free of duty.  As show n in Annex III, $788 million of this trade 
entered under MFN free rates while $9 million entered duty-free under General 
Preferential Tariff (GPT).  $189 million of th is trade entered under the preferential 
CARIBCAN tariff (CCCT).  Annex IV shows the top twenty-five commodity imports 
benefiting from the CARIBCAN preference.   
 
- Total Canada-CARIBCAN trade (exports plus imports) has grown from CDN $955 
million in 1998 to $1.9 billion in 2008.  The value of Canadian imports from the 
region has risen from $558 million in 1998 to more than $1 billion in 2008.  The value of Canadian exports to CARIBC AN countries has risen from $397 million in 
1998 to $904 million in 2008. 
 Statistical Annexes:  
 
Annex I:  Total Imports form CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1998 - 2008  Annex II:  Total Canadian exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1998 - 2008 
 
Annex III:  2008 Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries by Tariff Treatment 
 Annex IV:  Top 25 Merchandise Imports fro m CARIBCAN Beneficiaries which entered 
Canada under the CARIBCAN Duty-Free Tariff Treatment (CCCT) in 2008  
   WT/L/780
 Page 3 
 
 
Total Canadian Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1998 – 2008  Annex I 
 (thousands of Canadian dollars)          
Country 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 
Anguilla 7 8 9 10 13 8 27 145 153 149 211 
Antigua - Barbuda 2,698 402 10,380 340 954 748 579 558 407 564 5,468 
Bahamas 22,002 25,959 14,003 13,785 16,941 48,149 55,652 56,816 23,274 63,303 73,519 
Barbados 11,722 10,652 7,375 9,118 7,543 6,282 8,508 7,368 13,615 8,117 8,498 
Belize 8,263 14,027 9,868 3,739 6,381 4,501 8,325 9,651 9,558 10,959 10,842 
Bermuda 7,602 19,689 17,614 2,369 3,803 1,655 12,511 17,738 16,783 3,192 1,910 
British Virgin Islands 615 614 1,376 1,324 501 1,146 1,785 2,699 4,120 1,994 13,246 
Cayman Islands 1,070 654 522 27,571 3,818 2,242 1,108 441 280 314 193 
Dominica 1,910 1,642 1,698 775 944 358 313 775 253 398 337 
Grenada 1,067 1,602 1,523 1,037 1,476 1,082 1,259 944 957 701 877 
Guyana 203,107 192,020 197,800 209,474 225,368 201,099 197,704 147,206 142,093 161,534 225,084 
Jamaica 256,384 201,074 197,727 324,783 270,927 264,871 346,608 393,028 418,261 370,906 327,580 
Montserrat 28 248 94 113 267 453 238 104 542 222 139 
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 4,494 5,120 4,399 6,121 7,458 8,722 8,185 7,868 8,798 4,270 5,236 
St. Lucia 1,595 580 1,413 237 411 266 366 512 164 313 155 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 200 152 404 310 619 124 123 125 297 568 136 
Trinidad & Tobago 34,157 73,688 72,327 195,141 166,704 232,921 156,281 237,073 307,597 413,473 341,400 
Turks & Caicos Islands 686 1,823 1,647 1,007 2,347 7,980 6,871 7,525 6,917 5,146 1,933 
Total: 557,608 549,954 540,178 797,254 716,475 782,607 806,443 890,576 954,069 1,046,123 1,016,764 
            
Source :  Statistics Canada.           
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates  that an amount is ni l or negligible.          
 
  
  WT/L/780 
Page 4  
 
 
Total Canadian Exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1998-2008  Annex II 
(thousands of Canadian dollars)           
Country 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 
Anguilla 1,007 673 651 2,802 1,301 802 1,215 1,559 1,564 1,386 2,590 
Antigua - Barbuda 8,492 11,402 10,727 10,434 7,970 17,273 15,534 14,968 68,527 17,174 21,194 
Bahamas 24,513 26,301 26,018 27,706 33,245 28,883 30,392 59,949 51,275 91,210 226,436 
Barbados 36,396 41,087 33,783 29,104 33,629 41,979 44,769 55,729 59,411 55,216 45,392 
Belize 3,760 3,332 2,598 3,505 5,079 5,271 5,425 6,347 8,693 6,395 6,594 
Bermuda 40,165 42,973 34,540 34,715 107,599 42,945 59,301 66,405 68,131 59,035 61,823 
British Virgin Islands 2,628 28,743 60,187 2,240 2,167 2,129 2,637 2,786 3,672 2,057 8,694 
Cayman Islands 12,266 8,127 8,286 63,858 6,807 7,671 10,738 22,374 33,523 55,092 14,019 
Dominica 3,236 5,560 4,436 2,671 2,614 7,668 4,967 4,585 5,456 4,531 5,619 
Grenada 4,901 4,839 4,023 3,142 4,450 5,868 6,056 6,956 6,550 5,928 5,653 
Guyana 9,968 14,655 8,073 8,068 10,373 9,536 10,603 15,330 22,968 25,710 20,318 
Jamaica 98,032 96,699 99,815 121,933 158,212 124,650 163,755 144,312 142,636 190,138 187,298 
Montserrat 81 83 289 214 291 300 434 510 364 252 383 
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 5,675 10,646 9,633 16,147 27,036 12,059 3,982 5,380 7,101 8,753 7,930 
St. Lucia 11,493 12,524 9,683 7,375 7,804 7,423 8,059 7,020 11,494 15,083 12,309 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 3,676 4,633 4,906 3,941 3,743 5,874 5,130 6,978 9,830 9,767 7,688 
Trinidad & Tobago 129,703 161,936 110,822 156,222 136,808 125,507 121,475 141,525 178,797 210,182 262,673 
Turks & Caicos Islands 1,379 2,357 2,341 2,366 2,933 10,372 7,182 8,258 12,387 11,556 7,044 
Total: 397,371 476,570 430,811 496,443 552,061 456,210 501,654 570,971 692,379 769,465 903,657 
            
Source :  Statistics Canada.           
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates th at an amount is ni l or negligible.  Includes Ca nadian domestic exports only.     
 
  WT/L/780 
 Page 5 
 
 
   
 
Annex III (i) 
       
Duty Free  2008 Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries by Tariff Treatment 
(in Canadian dollars)      
Country Total 
Imports MFN Free GPT Free Caribcan 
(CCCT) 
Free Total Free Total 
Free as % 
of Total 
Imports 
Anguilla 211,291 79,519 - - 79,519 38% 
Antigua and 
Barbuda 5,467,824 5,003,035 12,225 - 
5,015,260 92% 
Bahamas 73,518,705 69,557,675 200 1,807,133 71,365,008 97% 
Barbados 8,497,804 1,281,468 4,163,952 2,597,491 8,042,911 95% 
Belize 10,842,498 9,075,812 111,902 385,157 9,572,871 88% 
Bermuda 1,909,585 1,025,892 - 498 1,026,390 54% 
Br. Virgin Is. 13,245,804 13,026,333 175,768 - 13,202,101 100% 
Cayman Islands 193,004 163,878 - - 163,878 85% 
Dominica 337,081 74,397 - 95,187 169,584 50% 
Grenada 877,317 748,195 111,565 36 859,796 98% 
Guyana 225,083,608 217,516,243 3,538,829 3,023,295 224,078,367 100% 
Jamaica 327,579,761 303,807,485 215,716 15,235,235 319,258,436 97% 
Montserrat 138,889 112,424 - - 112,424 81% 
St. Christopher 
(Kitts) and Nevis 5,235,974 4,866,605 - 
10,646 4,877,251 93% 
Saint Lucia 155,377 110,071 - 4,191 114,262 74% 
Saint Vincent/Gren. 135,735 61,241 - 51,407 112,648 83% 
Trinidad and Tobago 341,399,970 160,000,701 1,037,521 165,943,073 326,981,295 96% 
Turks/Caicos Is. 1,932,930 1,932,764 - - 1,932,764 100% 
Total 1,016,763,157 788,443,738 9,367,678 189,153,349 986,964,765 97% 
         
Source : Statistics Canada.      
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates  that an amount is ni l or negligible.      
 
  WT/L/780 
Page 6  
 
   
 
Annex III (ii)
       
Dutiable  2008 imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries by Tariff Treatment  
(in Canadian dollars)       
Country Total 
Imports MFN 
Dutiable GPT 
Dutiable Caribcan 
Dutiable Total 
Dutiable Total 
Dutiable as 
% of Total 
Imports 
Anguilla 211,291 131,772 - - 131,772 62% 
Antigua and Barbuda 5,467,824 452,564 - - 452,564 8% 
Bahamas 73,518,705 2,153,697 - - 2,153,697 3% 
Barbados 8,497,804 416,801 38,092 - 454,893 5% 
Belize 10,842,498 996,618 273,009 - 1,269,627 12% 
Bermuda 1,909,585 882,991 204 - 883,195 46% 
Br. Virgin Is. 13,245,804 43,703 - - 43,703 0% 
Cayman Islands 193,004 29,126 - - 29,126 15% 
Dominica 337,081 167,497 - - 167,497 50% 
Grenada 877,317 17,521 - - 17,521 2% 
Guyana 225,083,608 869,479 135,762 - 1,005,241 0% 
Jamaica 327,579,761 8,303,632 17,693 - 8,321,325 3% 
Montserrat 138,889 22,700 3,765 - 26,465 19% 
St. Christopher 
(Kitts) and Nevis 5,235,974 358,723 - - 
358,723 7% 
Saint Lucia 155,377 41,115 - - 41,115 26% 
Saint Vincent/Gren. 135,735 23,087 - - 23,087 17% 
Trinidad and Tobago 341,399,970 14,418,216 459 - 14,418,675 4% 
Turks/Caicos Is. 1,932,930 166 - - 166 0% 
Total 1,016,763,157 29,329,408 468,984 0 29,798,392 3% 
       
Source : Statistics Canada.      
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates  that an amount is ni l or negligible.      
 
    WT/L/780 
 Page 7 
 
 
   
 
Annex IV
   
Top 25 Merchandise Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries which entered Canada Under 
CARIBCAN Duty-Free Tariff Treatment (CCCT) in 2008 
 
(in Canadian Dollars) 
HS 
Tariff Description Imports under 
CARIBCAN 
Treatment 
(CCCT) 
29051100 Methanol (methyl alcohol) 168,525,881 
22084010 Rum 11,484,613 
22071010 Undenatured ethyl alcohol >= 80% vol for use in the manufacture of 
spirituous or alcoholic beverages 2,725,801 
03061100 Rock lobster and other sea crawfish ( Palinurus spp ., Panulirus spp. , 
Jasus spp. ) 2,082,885 
07149090 Other [Arrowroot, salep, Jerusalem artichokes and similar roots and 
tubers with high starch or inulin  content, fresh, chilled or dried, 
whether or not sliced or in the form of pellets; sago pith] 1,019,239 
21039020 Mixed condiments and mixed seasonings 981,258 
20059990 Other [Other vegetables and mixtures of vegetables] 967,310 
22021000 Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added 
sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured 913,452 
85369091 Other: Junction boxes; Receptacle boxes of metal 629,913 
21039090 Other [sauces] 597,481 
19059049 Other biscuits [Containing less than 25% by weight of wheat] 525,564 
85441190 Other [winding wire of copper] 488,669 
19053122 Sweet biscuits containing 25% or more by weight of wheat, in 
packages of a weight not exceeding 1.36 kg each, over access 
commitment 452,693 
20089930 Akalas, akees , anchovy pears, apple-pears, avocados, bananas, banana 
chips (thin banana slices fried or otherwise prepared whether or not 
salted, sweetened or otherwise flavoured), bread fruit, carambolas, 
chayotes, cherimoyas (Jam aica apples)…. 301,154 
73269090 Other [articles of iron or steel] 285,989 
09109910 Curry; dills seeds; other, neither crushed nor ground 180,024 
09109990 Other [spices] 176,532 
17049090 Other [Sugar confectionery (including white chocolate), not containing 
cocoa , not including chewing gum, whether or not sugar-coated] 164,422 
22089099 Other [spirituous beverages] 144,307 
22029090 Other [nectars] 104,520 
22029049 Other [beverages containing milk] 135,599 
11041200 Of oats [rolled or flaked grains] 129,781 
22042110 Wine, of an alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 13.7% vol 122,925 
04063010 Processed cheese, not grated or powdered, within acces s commitment 117,706 
20089990 Other [Berries, berry pulp, other fruit and pulps] 111,243 
   
Source : Statistics Canada import data.  
   
 
 
 
__________